Alumna to discuss career transition from graphics to food blogging
Marla Meridith has managed to fit working at big companies like Disney with her hobbies, such as baking, side by side on her resume.
Meridith, a Syracuse University alumna, will lead the discussion ‘From Disney to Delicious’ Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Room 500 of the Hall of Languages. The event is sponsored by SU’s Career Services and the Office of Alumni Relations. Meridith plans to talk about her work as a graphic designer for Disney and how she transitioned from Disney to the world of food blogging, she said.
‘I hope to be a bright light for students and show how many different directions you can take with your career if you have passion and drive,’ Meridith said.
The discussion is expected to show there is a world of career possibilities after graduation that extends beyond college majors, said Kim Brown, SU’s alumni program coordinator in Career Services.
‘Students have to know they are not married to their major,’ Brown said. ‘Marla is a perfect example — she took her knowledge of graphics and her passion for food and created a job she loves.’
Meridith used the skills she learned as an advertising major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications to do that, she said.
Meridith started her food blog, Family Fresh Cooking, in 2009 as a way to inspire a lifestyle for her family, friends and others around food that makes people feel happy and healthy, according to the blog. Family Fresh Cooking emphasizes the endless creativity in home cooking, encouraging others to rely less on packaged, processed foods and experiment in their own kitchens, Meridith said.
Meridith has turned Family Fresh Cooking into a personal business. Advertisers pay for space on the website, and Meridith personally offers recipe development, food photography and food styling for other clients.
In addition to speaking about her personal experiences, Meridith will serve up some of her favorite baked treats at the talk. Brown said students will taste some of Meridith’s favorite recipes, which she will bake herself, and learn some of Meridith’s tricks to making delicious food that’s just as healthy as it is tasty.
Brown said she believes Meridith’s infectious love for her work will make students think about what makes them truly happy and how they can translate their passions into careers.
‘You have to find something that pays the bills, sure,’ Brown said. ‘But at the end of the day, it’s not a job if you love it.’
Meridith considers her time at SU as ‘one of the most inspirational times’ of her life, she said. She graduated in 1992, but in her senior year, she began taking classes in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Surface Pattern Design program. Falling in love with the program, Meridith stayed an extra year at SU after graduation to take as many VPA classes as she could.
Meridith now lives in California with her husband and two children, but said she is a ‘winter girl,’ making it all the more exciting for her to come back to SU.
‘I’m curious to be on campus again and see how my memories have changed,’ Meridith said.
Francesca Capotorto, a freshman public relations major, said she’s interested to hear about Meridith’s career choices and how she was able to combine skills from college with her personal passion.
‘Disney and food blogging seem like two very separate fields,’ Capotorto said. ‘I’m curious to hear about her transition between careers and why she made the choices she did.’
Published on March 29, 2011 at 12:00 pm
